Thea Rickard

Ann Widdecombe’s longtime driver Peter Horrell paid tribute to her following her death, describing her as a strong, direct and comical figure who enjoyed her solitude in Dartmoor. He expressed shock at the police treating the case as a suspected murder and said she had never voiced concerns about her safety. Police believe she was killed shortly after midday on Wednesday and have released a previously arrested man who is no longer under investigation.

A report on the evacuation of Bristol’s Barton House concludes that although the building’s structural risks justified the decision to move residents, the council failed to anticipate or mitigate the severe social, health and welfare consequences. Residents describe chaotic communication, inadequate planning, and distressing conditions in temporary accommodation, including illness outbreaks and significant impacts on children’s mental and physical health. A Bristol councillor acknowledges residents were avoidably harmed and pledges a new approach centred on residents’ needs, while many tenants remain uncertain about the building’s safety and their long‑term housing future.